Halloween parties, Kenneth Branagh in 'Macbeth,' The Daily Show's Samantha Bee. Between the gore and the laughs, it's a downright dangerous weekend to go out.

It's every slasher film buff and sugar junkie's favorite time of year. Even if you still haven't decided on a costume, forgot to buy candy with which to lull your neighbors' kids into diabetic comas, and your Frakenstein pumpkin ended up looking a bit like Ted Cruz, don't worry! We've got you covered with our Halloween Entertainment Guide, which includes the best parties, haunted houses, zombie apocalypse runs, and more. (For those who are more into the scary movie side, check out our guide to local screenings, some with original music.)

National Theatre Live: MacbethOct 26–Nov 3, World Trade Center TheaterThe National Theatre Live series, which presents performances filmed at the renowned British theater, brings Portlanders the Bard’s best-known modern interpreter, Kenneth Branagh, in his first Shakespearean role in a decade. We don't need to say, "Do Not Miss," because you know that already.

Mistakes Were MadeSept 17–Oct 27, Artists Repertory Theatre It's the last weekend to catch this comedy about a hot-head NYC theater producer as he unravels under the weight of negotiations with movie stars, playwrights, and agents, as well as some crisis in the Middle East involving sheep and militant rebels—all with no one but his overweight pet fish as a confidant. We caught up with playwright Craig Wright (Lost, Six Feet Under, Dirty Sexy Money) to talk about the difficulty of breathing new life into the hard-nosed producer trope, his cascade of absurdities, and the difference between writing for stage and screen. In addition to the Q&A, we also review the show in what we're dubbing the Review&A.

The Outgoing TideOct 18–Nov 19, CoHo Theatre"Although the contemporary end-of-life issues which The Outgoing Tide deals with may not resonate with some viewers, the play's timeless story of family—and CoHo's superb staging—make this a tide worth catching before it goes out for good." Read the rest of our review of this play about a man losing his mind to dementia and his choice whether to enter an assisted living facility, starring local stage veterans Tobias Andersen, Jane Fellows, andGary Norman.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. HydeOct 25–Nov 23, Theatre Vertigo Up to six actors play Mr. Hyde in this 2008 reimagining by noted playwright Jeffrey Hatcher of the classic story about the tension twixt social mores and primal instincts. Review to come next week.

Comedy

The Daily Show's Samantha BeeOct 25, Lewis and Clark College If you’re like us, you get a lot of your news—okay, maybe most your news—from Jon Stewart and his cast of correspondents. Most senior of those is Canadian comedian and actress Samantha Bee (she nabbed the torch from Stephen Colbert in 2012), who’s skewered everything from Occupy Wall Street to the resistance to women in the military—to say nothing of her alleged "War on Christmas." And now she’s coming to Lewis and Clark for what’s billed as “An Evening with Samantha Bee: My Life as a Daily Show Correspondent and Other Misadventures.” Pretty self-explanatory, right? Read our interview with the comedian about working on the show, which correspondent she’d most likely eat, and talking to dead people.

Andy KindlerOct 24–26, Helium Comedy ClubComedian and voice actor Andy Kindler is a regular correspondent on The Late Show with David Letterman, he plays the voice of Mort the Mortician on Fox's Bob's Burgers, a fictionalized version of himself on IFC's Maron, and he's appeared seemingly everywhere else, from Everybody Loves Raymond to The Daily Show. Check out our Q&A with Kindler about his annual "State of the Industry" address, his reputation as the comedy industry's conscience, and some of his other projects.

Music

Pure Bathing CultureOct 24, Bunk BarAfter emerging in 2011 to lull Portland audiences with their dreamy, almost-easy-listening pop, local couple Sarah Versprille and Daniel Hindman (also in Vetiver) tucked us into bed and went off to record their debut full-length. Now, they return with Moon Tides—and the attention of national tastemakers.

CocorosieOct 26, The Wonder Ballroom The Casady sisters bring their brand of ethereal, unconventional art pop to the Wonder in support of this year's Tales of a Grass Widow, their most electronically influenced effort yet. The found sounds and idiosyncratic instrumentation of their previous work, not to mention the haunting and constantly shifting vocal delivery, haven't left, though: expect a plethora of unusual instruments, beatboxed percussion, and probably some heavy makeup.

Leading Ladies in Music AwardsOct 27, Mississippi StudiosIn Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp for Girls' first annual benefit celebrating women who have made groundbreaking contributions in music and the local community, this ceremony will honor Corin Tucker of Sleater Kinney and the Corin Tucker Band and Toddy Cole of Dead Moon. The show will also feature performances from Brooklyn's the Shondes and Portland's Hungry Ghost.

Dance

New Now Wow!Oct 24–26, Lincoln Performance HallNorthwest Dance Project’s annual program of new works, New Now Wow!, highlights pieces by two winners of its annual Pretty Creatives choreographic competition, as well as the company’s first work from Danielle Agami, who introduced the Israeli dance technique called Gaga to the US (no relation to the Lady).

BOOKS AND TALKS We know, we know; these aren't technically on the weekend. But you should go anyway.

Cheryl Strayed, Brian Doyle, Vanessa Veselka, and Kevin SampsellOct 29, Powell's Books at Cedar Hills CrossingThe Best American Essays 2013, selected and introduced by Cheryl Strayed, is exactly what it sounds like: a compendium of the best essay writing the country has to offer. Strayed, the bestselling author of Wild, will be joined by contributors Brian Doyle, Vanessa Veselka, and local literary kingpin Kevin Sampsell. Read our profile of Sampsell, including excerpts from his upcoming debut novel, This Is Between Us, and the essay included in the collection.

Cari LunaOct 28, Powell's on Hawthorne This recent transplant to Portland from NYC reads from her debut novel, The Revolution of Every Day, which explores questions of home and homelessness in the mid-1990s. Read our review of the novel.

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